CHAPTER 217: THAT’S THE FEELING

The second trial instructor stepped into the classroom.

He was a burly man, muscles jutting out like carved marble.

Old Wang struck again, unleashing three palms in succession. The man was pushed back three steps, yet his expression remained unchanged, standing firm as a mountain.

Old Wang evaluated, “That’s some solid hard-body cultivation. You don’t graduate university with that kind of physique.”

The man smiled faintly. “As long as you’re satisfied, sir.”

“Hello everyone, I’m Teacher Yao. You can also call me Little Yao.”

“I used to sell legal addictive pharmaceuticals. Very upright line of work.”

“Then someone told me, you’ll never get rich doing legal business. Said the dark tutoring scene pays way more. That’s how I ended up here.”

“Only then did I realize—some things might not be legal, but they make perfect sense...”

Everyone chuckled at his words.

Then Teacher Yao peeled off his shirt, revealing a back riddled with pinprick holes.

Pointing to the needle wounds still oozing fluid, he declared proudly, “Comes with the trade. Since I used to sell meds, I studied how to purge drug toxins from the body early on.”

“Judging by how many punctures you see, you can guess how much stuff I’ve injected.”

“And the reason I’m still this healthy today is thanks to the technique I’ll be teaching you: the Nine Dragons Acupuncture Technique.”

“This technique drives needle force deep into the organs, expelling residual toxins and drug sludge daily. No more worrying about side effects—just take your meds and pull those all-nighters without fear.”

“Also, as a former professional, feel free to come to me with any pharmaceutical questions—or if you want to buy something. I still have some supplier connections and can get you discounts...”

…

In a nearby conference room, the elders of the Dark Studies Gang nodded along as they listened to his lecture.

“Little Yao’s good. Teaches while selling meds—that’s why his class revenue stays at the top.”

“Combining medicine and curriculum is the trend. Elite high schools have been doing it for years. We should catch up.”

…

Outside the classroom, Zhang Yu listened in and thought grimly, “Not enough. I still need to give myself an edge.”

He recalled his previous trial lesson in the high-tech park. “These Qi Refinement fogeys who made it into college must’ve come from elite high schools—maybe even the Three Great Academies.” ᚱ𝓪𝐍ο฿Εṧ

“On the road, it’s all about the identity you craft. If I pretend to be a White Dragon alumnus, maybe I’ll get more favor...”

…

“Hello everyone, my surname is Bai. I graduated from White Dragon High School.”

The third trial instructor was a spry old man with white hair and a childlike face.

Smiling, Teacher Bai casually accepted Old Wang’s three palms. He only took half a step back before standing firm.

Old Wang raised an eyebrow. “You’re from White Dragon too? Then we’re schoolmates.”

Teacher Bai smiled back. “I’m 145 this year. A pleasure, junior. When I studied at White Dragon, it was just one little building. No class rankings or anything…”

Hearing him reel off White Dragon’s old history so easily, Old Wang believed most of it and nodded slightly. “Greetings, senior.”

Teacher Bai glanced at the crowd of elders and said slowly, “Lifelong learning is the path to lifelong living. I’m sure we’ve all seen people die poor with no job.”

“When I was young like you, I juggled work and evening classes every day just to stay competitive.”

“Because if you don’t study, how do you work? And if you don’t work, how do you earn and live long?”

“Only a lifetime of learning, working, and paying taxes—that’s the righteous path of cultivation.”

“I’m 145 now, and I’ve nearly saved enough to buy a longevity elixir. Once I take it, I’ll live to 170. That’s ten more years of productive labor…”

Thunderous applause rang out from the elderly audience. In Teacher Bai, they saw their own potential.

“Heh, of course, the reason I can still work at this age is because I’ve practiced techniques to purge toxins from the body for years...”

…

In the conference room, the gang elders chimed in with praise.

“Old Bai’s always reliable. He hasn’t even started teaching but already connected with the students.”

“With his seniority, resume, and real-life example, he can definitely control that class. Retention rates will soar.”

“Little Yao’s great, Old Bai’s solid—hard to pick just one.”

…

Outside, Zhang Yu’s heart sank. “This guy’s claiming White Dragon too?”

“Damn it... I need a new angle.”

“These Qi Refinement relics are all snobs—most from elite schools, maybe even the Three Great Academies.”

“Normal tricks won’t cut it...”

After Teacher Bai’s session ended, it was finally Zhang Yu’s turn.

But as soon as he stepped into the room, Old Wang barked, “Young man, you can leave. No need to continue.”

Though Zhang Yu had disguised himself to look thirty or forty, the elders clearly saw him as a greenhorn.

Old Wang sneered, “We’ve decided. We want Senior Bai to teach. No need for replacements.”

With that, he launched a palm strike toward Zhang Yu’s chest, wind and thunder howling with its force, as if to blast him straight out the door.

Boom!

The strike first landed on Zhang Yu’s coppery corpse-hardened skin, tempered by the Resentment Fiend Technique.

Then it was intercepted by the Formless Cloud Qi beneath his skin.

The palm force was then channeled through his bones, now polished to silvery frost—absorbing the blow with practiced energy redirection.

Though Zhang Yu didn’t budge an inch, he had withstood the blow using his peak-level Qi Refinement body cultivation, skeletal strength, and internal technique.

To Old Wang, it felt like striking a foundation beam of a skyscraper—hardened steel. Not only did Zhang Yu not move, but Old Wang’s own palm ached from the impact.

“You brat!” Old Wang stared in shock. “What a robust protective technique. It’s not just one, is it?”

Zhang Yu smiled. “Still have two more, sir.”

Old Wang replied, “With body refinement like that, you must’ve graduated college. No further testing needed.”

Hands behind his back, he tried not to wince as his palms throbbed.

The other elders exchanged curious glances. They knew Old Wang’s strength—if he acknowledged this “young man,” maybe he was worth hearing after all.

Zhang Yu stepped up to the podium.

“My surname is Ma. You can call me Teacher Ma.”

“Today, I’ll be teaching the Endless Spring and Autumn Meditation—a technique I mastered back in Immortal Cloud High.”

One elder frowned. “Immortal Cloud? Never heard of it. Some regular high school?”

Another muttered, “Sounds familiar... maybe a low-tier one?”

But Old Wang suddenly raised his head in shock. “Did you say Immortal Cloud High? Could it be...?”

“Indeed,” Zhang Yu said coolly. “The one on Level 1.5 of Xiandu.”

“I’m from Xiandu.”

That instantly drew every gaze in the room.

Meeting their eyes, Zhang Yu added, “I lived in the inner area of North Sixth Ring, Level 1.5.”

Someone whispered, “What’s Level 1.5?”

Old Wang replied quietly, “It’s the cloud layer above Xiandu. A sky city. But I don’t know where exactly this North Sixth Ring is...”

Zhang Yu explained, “Above Xiandu floats a massive city-island. A true sky city. We call it Level 1.5—between Kunxu’s First and Second Floors.”

“The crown jewel is Central Cloud Sea Park.”

“I still remember the forests, lakes, and dragons weaving through the mist in the Cloud Sea…”

Drawing from the hallucinations he saw during the Dao Heart Test in the Foundation Establishment exam, Zhang Yu painted a vivid picture of Level 1.5, his voice full of fond nostalgia.

He thought to himself, “That half-day illusion is enough material to bluff through Songyang.”

The crowd was spellbound by tales of gourmet feasts, spiritual relics, and alchemy furnaces in luxurious mansions above the clouds—wishing they could see it once before they died.

Old Wang was especially shaken. “Who is this guy? The Xiandu people I met on the Second Floor never talked about anything this fancy...”

After a long, evocative ramble, Zhang Yu suddenly narrowed his eyes and said, “To be honest, coming to a backwater like this to tutor a bunch of nobodies from the provinces... I wasn’t exactly thrilled.”

He sighed. “But fate is unpredictable. Sometimes, life throws you curveballs. I’ll just have to endure.”

Old Wang visibly trembled, heart pounding. “That’s it!”

“Every Xiandu guy I’ve met on the Second Floor looked down their noses and talked to us Songyang folks with that exact tone!”

As Zhang Yu channeled the air of the elite “Xiandu Lords” he’d seen in the Foundation Exam, he kept scanning the room.

“Just as I thought,” he mused. “These old workhorses scorn weaklings and worship elite prodigies.”

…

In the conference room:

“Is that a real Xiandu Lord teaching our class?”

“Real or not, didn’t you see how the clients responded?”

“Perfect! This is exactly what the Dark Studies Gang needs—branding! Xiandu sells.”

“But Little Yao brings in pharma revenue. He said he can unlock new markets if we promote him to gold-tier instructor.”

“And you believe that? I could say I’ve secured the rights to Xianyun Group’s media too.”

“What about Old Bai? Genuine White Dragon graduate. 145 years old. Loyal and experienced.”

“Old man might die mid-class. Why risk it?”

“I say we go with Ma Yunteng. That Xiandu brand is gold—he can really help us grow.”

“But Little Yao’s profitable! Prestige’s nice, but cash is king.”

“Each has their strengths. Why not promote both?”

“We don’t have enough classes to go around.”

The elders bickered furiously, caught between prestige and profit in choosing the new gold-tier instructor.